Being green is über-important to me. As a vegetarian, car-free eco-activist, I couldn’t bear the thought of ejecting 1,000 toxic discs into the world without a fight. So I’ve made it my personal mission to be as sustainable as possible in my music.
Here are some of the things I’m doing:
"If I can't change the world, I'll change the world within my reach" - Catie Curtis
The Green Musician
The Green Musician is my project dedicated to sustainability. Since launching in 2009, I’ve developed a website, assembled a green resource guide for musicians, and spoken at several music gatherings:
- South by Southwest (2009) [click here for a review]
- Folk Alliance (2009)
- Hillside Folk Festival (2008)
A Book
With all that I’ve learned from going green, I felt inspired to share that knowledge. The Green Musician will be the industry’s guidebook to sustainability. I’ll be seeking an agent/publisher in Fall of 2009.
My biggest hope… that this green message will spread through the music industry like a #1 single, so musicians can help the planet live in hi-fi organic harmony!
My Eco-Friendly CD
As an environmentalist, it was hard to justify producing CDs. The plastic is derived from oil and doesn’t biodegrade, the jewel cases contain toxic PVC, the printing uses paper and toxic inks, the shipping generates CO2 emissions, and the packaging results in landfill waste. Even with the onset of digital downloading, an artist still needs to sell physical CDs to make a living and gain fans.
I tried my best to reduce the environmental impact of Monkeys & Ice Cream. Here are some of the steps I took…
- The jewel cases are reused, and thus rescued from a landfill
- The printing uses 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based inks
- 50 trees were planted to offset the carbon released in travel, manufacture, and shipping
- 2500 kWh of wind power were purchased to offset the electricity used during recording and manufacturing
My Car-Free Tour
Most indie musicians travel by car. Well, I sold my car in 2005 to detach myself from big oil, so touring was a conundrum. Especially in these far-flung highway-dependent 50 states. I haven’t calculated the exact carbon or cost savings, but I feel good about what I did on my ’08 national tour:
- For all my trips under 750 miles, I took buses or trains.
- For longer trips I flew (which is still better than traveling alone in most cars) • In some cases, I even did rideshares
- When I got to a city, I figured out the local transit system. Only 4 times out of 40 shows did I have to rent a car!
- At the end of the year, I offset all of my travel, resulting in a carbon-free national tour!
